Submarine mine.



J. A. SENG.

SUBMAMNE MINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31. 1915.

Patented July 3, 1917. r

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTQE JOSEPH AIME SENG, 0F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNORTO SOCIETE ANONYME ANoIENs ETABLISSEMENTS SAUTTER-HARLE, OF PARIS,FRANCE,

FRANCE.

A CORPORATION OF SUBMARINE MINE.

Application filed July 31, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH AIME SENG, of 17 Avenue de La Bourdonnais,Paris, France, engineer, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSubmarine Mines, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification.

This invention relates to submarine mines provided with mechanismadapted to operate after an interval, such mines being particularlyapplicable for submarine boats.

This invention allows this result to be obtained by a time apparatuswhich is particu larly applicable for anchoring submarine mines.

A member which is intended to move after a certain interval is normallylocked by any suitable mechanism. The time apparatus which serves tounlock that member is contained in a water tight casing which may alsocontain the said member. Means are provided by which water can beadmitted into the casing to act upon a soluble locking stop or pin toallow mechanism to operate to unlock the member.

"The soluble pin may normally retain either the lock itself or a partacting upon the lock.

Means may be provided to prevent the disengagement of the lock on thebreakage or premature destruction of the pin.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a vertical section of an anchorof a submarine mine, Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification and Fig.3 is a perspective detail View of part of Fig. 1.

In the drawings a is the mooring drum of a submarine mine normallylocked by a catch :7) pivoted at b which engages teeth a on theperiphery of the drum.

In Fig. 1 the time apparatus is contained in an anchor cl which inclosesthe drum a, the anchor being rendered water tight at the point cZ'through which the mooring rope passes.

e is a cock provided with a passage f which connects the inside of theanchor with the outside by a passage g. A spring it tends to remove thecatch 6 from the teeth of the drum but is prevented from so doing by asoluble pin '5, formed of ammonium chlorid, for example, which normallyretains the catch in engagement. If the cock 6 is opened and the anchorwith its mine is in the water, Water passes into the interiorSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Serial N 0. 42,947.

of the anchor, dissolves the pin i and the spring 72, causes the catch 6to move out of engagement with the teeth 0 thus releasing the drum.

Preferably the cock 0 is provided with a tail j bifurcated at y" withwhich the end of the catch b will engage if liberated by the prematuredestruction or accidental breakage of the pin 2'.

The end of the catch would at the same time enter the groove of aprojection 70 on the frame of the anchor. The cock 6 will thus berendered immovable. In Fig. 2 the time apparatus is contained 1n aseparate water tight vessel Z closed by a cock 6 provided with a passageg. Inside the vessel Z is a piston 17;. which a spring a constantlytends to push upward and which is provided with a rod 0. p is a solublepin which norm-ally maintains the rod in its down position. If the cooka is opened, water passes into the vessel and dissolves the pin 72, therod under the action of the spring n moves upward into the passage 9 ofthe cock and removes the catch from the teeth 0 thus liberating thedrum.

For security the rod 0 is preferably provided with a stem 9 and the cock6 with an opening 1 which, when the cock is closed, is opposite the stem9.

If the pin dissolves prematurely or breaks accidentally, the rod is setfree and its stem 9 engages the opening 1" and retains the cock 6 andimmobilizes the apparatus. While the stem 9, when the. pin 7? has beenprematurely broken or dissolved, will thus prevent the operation of thecocke by the application of ordinary force thereto, it will be apparentthat by the application of increased force to the cook it may be turned,wrenching the reduced stem 11 from the body of the rod 0. Thereuponwater will be admitted to the vessel Z whereby the anchor and mine willsink; but stem Q being broken, catch 6 will not be actuated to releasethe drum a because rod 0 although entering passage 9 cannot reach thecatch. It will also be apparent that the same result may be accomplishedwith the structure of the modification of Figs. 1 and 3 in any suitableway.

Claims:

1. In a submarine mine, the combination with a water-tight casing, ofmeans to admit water thereto, lockin g means, lock-disenga ging means, asoluble stop inside said casing to restrain said lock-disengaging means,and means to restrain said lock-disengaging means upon a prematurefailure of said stop.

2. In a submarine mine, the combination -With a Water-tight casing, ofmeans to admit Water thereto, locking means, lock-disengaging means, asoluble step inside said casing to restrain said lock-disengaging means,and means to restrain said lock-disengaging means and saidWater-admitting means upon a premature failure of said stop.

8. In a submarine mine, the combination of locking means,lock-disengaging means, a Water-tight casing, a soluble stop inside thecasing adapted to restrain said lock-disengaging means, means foradmitting Water into said casing, and means for preventing the operationof said lock-disengaging means When said means for admitting Water is inclosed position.

4:. In a submarine mine, the combination of l0cking means,lock-disengaging means, a Water-tight casing, a soluble stop inside thecasing adapted to restrain said lockdisengaging means, means foradmitting Water into said casing, and means for preventing the operationof saidlock-disengaging means When said means for admitting Water is inclosed position, said last-named means preventing the operation of saidmeans for admitting Water on the premature removal of said soluble stop.

5. In a submarine mine the combination of a locking catch, a springtending to disengage the catch, a Water tight casing, a soluble stopinside the casing adapted to prevent the spring from operating, a cockfor admitting Water into the casing and means forpreventing said springfrom operating the catch when the cock is in its closed position.

6. In a submarine mine the combination of a locking catch, a springtending to dis- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for engage thecatch, a Water tight casing, a soluble stop inside the casing adapted toprevent the spring from operating, a cock for admitting Water into thecasing and means for preventing said spring from operating the catchWhen the cock is in its closed position, Which means also prevent themovement of the cock on the premature removal of the soluble stop.

7 In a submarine mine, the combination of locking means,lock-disengaging means, a Water-tight casing, a soluble stop inside thecasing adapted to restrain said lockedisengaging means, means foradmitting Water into said casing, and means for preventing the operationof said lock-disengaging means When said means for admitting Water is inclosed position, said last-named means preventing the operation of said.means for admitting Water on the premature removal of said soluble stopexcept by the application of increased force to said Water-admittingmeans.

8. In a submarine mine, the combination" In testimony whereof I havesigned this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

JOSEPH AIME sane.

Witnesses I GHAs. P. PREssLY, GEORGES DELOZ.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Zea/cents,Washington, D. G. Y

